family member has aids.

May 17, 2003

My brother in law has had HIV for 5 years. I just found out about it from my wife, because he has full blown aids now. What can we expect? Is there anything that can be done to prolong his life? Thank you in advance.

Response from Dr. Young

Sorry to hear of your situation.

This is a very large topic-- too large to cover with justice with this answer, but I'd direct you to the many listings on TheBody for details.

In brief, assuming that your brother-in-law has access to care and medications, persons living with HIV infection can hope to have restoration of their immune function, quality and quantity of life.

There are many variables that affect prognosis-- including other health issues (like tuberculosis, hepatitis, drug-dependency) and the ability to adhere to medical follow up and prescribed medications.

The best thing to prolong his life is to make sure that he has access to experienced HIV health care providers, access to medications and when or if started on antiretroviral medications, that he is assisted in adherence to the prescribed medical regimen.

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